Samuel Stockhausen Explained

Samuel Stockhausen was a German physician in the mining town of Goslar. He studied the ancient miner's disease, called, among workers in the nearby mines of Rammelsberg in the Harz mountains. In 1656 he published a book, in Latin, attributing the disease to noxious fumes from litharge (a lead compound), ("Treatise on the Noxious Fumes of Litharge, Diseases caused by them and Miners' Asthma").[1] [2] Because of this he is considered by some to be the first occupational physician.[3] Unlike his near contemporary, Paracelsus, who also wrote about diseases of miners, Stockhausen recognized litharge-derived dust as the causative factor and recommended avoiding inhaling it.[4] This was the first time that the ancient syndrome, known to Romans as, was attributed specifically to chronic poisoning with lead.

The work of Stockhausen influenced Eberhard Gockel to attribute the consumption of litharge in wine as causing a similar disease.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Risse, Guenter B. . Guenter B. Risse. New Medical Challenges During the Scottish Enlightenment. Rodopi. Amsterdam. 2005. 386 . 90-420-1814-3. 2009-03-06 . discusses Stockhausen on page 207 in the context of a history of lead poisoning.
  2. Book: Rosen , George . The history of miners' diseases, a medical and social interpretation. Schuman's. 1943. 490. book preview. 2009-03-06 . discusses Stockhausen on page 10 in the context of a history of miner's disease.
  3. 0025-7273. 26. 3. 279–302. Eisinger. J. Lead and wine. Eberhard Gockel and the colica Pictonum. Medical History. July 1982. 6750289. 1139187. 10.1017/s0025727300041508. see page 295 for Stockhausen
  4. 1076-2752. 47. 2. 96–114. Gochfeld. Michael. Chronologic history of occupational medicine. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. February 2005. 10.1097/01.jom.0000152917.03649.0e. 15706170. 35548035. Gochfeld . Michael . Chronologic history of occupational medicine . Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine . 2005 . 47 . 2 . 96–114 . 10.1097/01.jom.0000152917.03649.0e . 15706170 . 35548035 . 2009-03-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060913141712/http://courses.washington.edu/envh584/ChronHistOccMed.pdf . 2006-09-13. A PDF copy of the article.
  5. Web site: Vintage Direct - The Wine Disease . 2009-02-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081115202327/http://www.nicks.com.au/Index.aspx?link_id=76.1221 . 2008-11-15.

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